Automatic train-stopping device.



J. A. JESSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED III/v1.2a. m1.

1,227,91 3, Patented May 29, 1917.

7M! unRnrs PETERS 50., nnarmuma, WASHING mu 0. c.

NITFLD TATE rarnnar omnio AUTOI/IATIC TRAIN-$TOPPING DEVICE. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 23, 1917. Serial No. 156,892.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, Jnssn A. .lnssoir, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corbin, in the county of ll hitley and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Stopping Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safety devices for railway trucks and more particularly to a safety device for controlling the air brakes when emergency arises, or when an unusual strain. due to the weakness of the road-bed or some inferior part of the car construction presents a danger which normally would remain undiscovered, and insures the application of the car brakes when such a danger is imminent.

The primary object of my invention is to prevent serious wrecks of trains when any of the car trucks become defective or whenever a truck leaves the rails, whether due to a broken rail, a misthrown switch, spread rails or any other abnormal condition affecting the free movement of the truck and endangering the safety of the passengers. Other objects are to provide a simple, practical and efiicient device of the character referred to which shall be inexpensive in manufacture, invulnerable to changes in temperature or atmospheric conditions and having no moving parts of any kind, and nothing to wear nor to prevent its operation when necessity arises.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a train pipe connection illustrating the application of my invention to the car truck and to the air pipe controlling the brakes on the understructure of a railway car, said pipe being shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational view of my improved safety device, the inner cavity of which is represented by dotted lines; anc

Fig. 3 is a section taken on Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

In said drawings in which the same reference letters are used to denote correspond ing parts in different views, the letter A may denote the pipelug menr a: of my improved safety device, which preferably consists of a substantially cylindrical piece of metal having means thereon for applying a wrench, preferably a nut-like integral flange or polygonal portion a, and provided at one end with an exter illy threaded preferably tapered head-portion c and at the other end with means for attaching pushbar, chain or cord, which in the form shown may consist of a hole drilled therethrough to receive a chain connecting link for con.- ncction with a fixture on the car truck or other part of the railway train. The said member A is adapted to screw into and close an opening in he train pipe and is bored. out at one end to form a cavity a which may extend to an internal point slightly below the integral flange (4, so as to pro ide a thin outer wall or annular weak portion adjacent said flange at the base of said cavity, to adapt the plug to break under stress and apply the brakes. o this end the two sections of an air brake pipe B, near and above the truck member C. may be con nected. together by a T-coupling member D having the usual internally threa 'led portions screwed upon suitably externally threaded ends of the pipe sections; the said member l) having depencing short tubular portion or pipe-end which is internally tapered and threaded to engage with the externally tapered thread of t lle member r'i which is tightly screwed therein.

A chain E secured at one end to the truck member F, by block and staple or other suitable means may have its other end fastened to the end. of the plug member A by means of a conn cting link passed through the hole in the end portion (1?. The chain is allowed to be slightly slack in order L/O give freely and allow for the normal and ordinary movement of the truck. I I

In use, when the caris derailed, or the truck is caused to diverge from ordinary and moderate movement under extraordinary and unusual strain, caused either by spread rails, imperfection of the railwaybed, or a break in the girders or car construction. or any extraordinary and abnormal condition relative to the normal move ment of the truck, said truck will tighten the chain and pull upon it so that it will jerk upon the member A and snap it in two at its weak point under the integral flange a, whereupon the air will escape from the air brake pipe, thus causing the brakes to be. applied by the ordinary piston means which is commonly known and used by the railroads and in the ordinary brake construction. My improved device may also be used to advantage in stationary plants and in connection with other machinery Where air or steam is used. It has many advantages over other devices heretofore devised for accomplishing the same purpose, by reason of its simplicity, its unitary composition, its positive action, its invulnerableness to the atmosphere and wear, and its capacity for expeditious attachment to the air brake pipe at any point desired without a special construction to facilitate it, and finally, because of its inexpensiveness in manufacture.

While I have shown my improvement applied to a T-coupling connecting sections of a train pipe, it will be understood that this is merely a preferred form, and that various other forms may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, which resides essentially in providing a train pipe of an air brake system with an interiorly threaded socket or opening to receive an exteriorly threaded plug for closing said opening; said plug being formed with a weak point to adapt it to break under abnormal strain and unclose said opening to permit the air to escape and automatically apply the brakes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An automatic safety device for applying emergency air brakes comprising a pipeconnection including a coupling member having a normally closed opening therein, and a plug member having a head-portion inserted in and closing said opening; said head-portion having a weak breakable part adjacent said coupling member, and means on the projecting portion of said plug member for connection with a fixture on the moving vehicle, whereby said plug member will be broken and unclose said opening under abnormal strain.

2. An automatic safety appliance for emergency air brakes comprising an airpipe connection having a normally closed opening thereln and a plug member having a head-portion mserted 1n and closmg sa1d opening; said head-portion being formed closing said opening; said device consisting of a metal plug having an exteriorly threaded head-portion formed with a polygonal flange at the base of the thread and with an annular cavity extending into said threaded portion slightly beyond said flange so as to weaken the plug at that point to adapt it to break when subjected to undue strain, and means on said plug for attaching one end of a chain connecting it with a railway truck or other fixture on a moving vehicle.

4. An automatic safety device for -emergency air brakes comprising a pipe-connection having a normally closed internally threaded opening therein and a plug-like metal bar having a head-portion at one end thereof constructed with means for applying a wrench, and a threaded portion adapted to be screwed into said opening, the free end of said plug having means thereon for connection with a chain extending from the truck of a railway car or locomotive.

5. In combination with an emergency air brake system, including a pipe-coupling having a tapered internally screw threaded opening therein, a metal plug having a tubular head-portion formed with a polygonal flange and a tapered threaded portion adapted to be screwed into said opening; said tubular portion terminating slightly beyond said flange at a point external to said coupling so as to weaken the plug at that point, and means on the free end of said plug for connecting it with the truck of a railway car or other vehicle, whereby in the event of derailment the plug will be broken and the brakes applied.

6. In combination with the train pipe of an air brake system having a pipe coupling with a normally closed interiorly threaded tapered opening therein, a safety device composed of a single piece of metal having a head-portion at one end thereof formed with an integral polygonal flange underlying a tapered threaded portion at the end of said head-portion adapted to be screwed into engagement with said normally closed opening, an annular cavity extending from said threaded end to an internal point slightly below the under face of said flange, and means at the other end of said device for attaching a chain in connection with the truck of a railway vehicle.

7. In an air brake system for railway trains, an automatic train stopping device comprising an air pipe having an opening therein through which the air may escape to permit the application of the brakes, and means for closing said opening; said means being adapted for direct connection to a part of the car and adapted under unusual stress to break and unclose said opening.

8. In an air brake system for railway trains, an automatic train stopping device comprising an air pipe having an opening therein through which the air may escape In testimony whereof I aflix my signature to permit the application of the brakes, and in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

means for closing said opening, havin a stressing connection with the car truck; s aid JESSE JESSON' means being adapted under unusual stress Witnesses:

of said connection to break and unelose said W. B. MEADOWS,

opening. ED JANEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

